I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Friday morning, the 19th of January, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We go to 1 Peter 3:8: 

"Finally," - I like that word, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; …"

Folks, I want to say to you, thats it, that's finally what Jesus is saying - a friendly smile, a wave. Do you know what that does for somebody? In my younger days I used to do a few marathon runs and I want to tell you I have seen love in those marathons like I haven't seen anywhere else and unfortunately, sometimes I don't even see it in a church, and especially towards the end of the race when everyone has got blisters, they are tired, they are exhausted, and then to see somebody smile at you, pass you a piece of orange just to help you along your way, give you a bottle of water because they see you are thirsty. I want to say, that love is unprecedented.  

You know, when we watch the mighty Comrades Marathon which takes place in South Africa every year, we are looking at almost 90 kms, and it is hot and mountainous. The thing that really brings me to tears when I watch it every year, and I say this with the greatest respect, is not the man who comes through with the gold medal. No look, we admire him and we honour him. It's right before the final gun is going to go off to close the gate; anybody else coming through after that is disqualified, and to see people, arms around each other and running together, sometimes crawling, that love is amazing and I believe it touches the heart of Jesus.  

Now we are not all Comrades runners but you know something, we can all say to somebody when they are trying to get into a queue, stand back a bit and let them go ahead of you, and somebody screaming past you, instead of shaking your fist, have a bit of compassion, you never know, it might be an emergency - maybe they have to get a loved one to hospital. Most of all, let's be Jesus to the people in the street. The love of God will bring them to Christ quicker than any Bible-punching or verse-quoting.

Let's smile for Jesus today,
Have a wonderful day.
God bless you and goodbye.